Mechanical movement



(No'ModeL) 2 sheet -Sheet 1.

' J. E. S. MEDSGER.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT; No. 543,258. Patented Ju1y'23, 1895.

I /m qmX/m/ ,6 cirdhuod W (No Model.) 2 SheetsQ-Sheet 2.; J.'E. S. MEDSGEILp MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

No. 543,258. "Patented-July 23,1895.-

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Nrrn PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. S. MEDSGER, OF NEW FLORENCE, PENNSYLVANIA.

MECHANICAL MOVEMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,258, dated July 23, 1895. Application filed May 6, I895. Serial No. 548,268. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. S. MEDSGER, aresident of New Florence, in the county of Westmoreland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Mechanical Movements; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear,

and exact description thereof.

My invention relates toa device for providing for the expansion and contraction or other variations between the terminal points of wires, cables, or rods, such as are employed for instance in the operation of railroad-signals, whereby said wires, :cables, or rods will always be held taut and always in condition'to operate perfectly.

Great difi'iculty has been experienced heretofore in the operation of railroad-signals due The wires which operate these signals often extend several hundreds of yards from the point of operation to the signal and are exposed to all kinds of The changes in temperature cause either the expansion or contraction of the wires, and unless the slackis taken up the signal may drop into such position as todeceive the engineer of a train, or when it is attempted to raise the signal said signal will not rise to It has, been necesssary therefore to provide fora careful inspection of these wires, and men are employed for the purpose of taking up the slack or letting out the wires according as the temperature may act .upon them. For this purpose swivels have been located at certain points on the wires, which have to be tightened up or loosened according as the wires expander contract.. By my invention I'propose to provide mechanism which will hold the wires taut without any attention on the part of the,

Figure 1 is a plan view of a railroad-track,

showing my invention in connection therewith. 'Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the operating mechanism. Fig. 3 is a like View showing same in another position. Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4, Fig. Fig. 5 is a side view of a signal-post. Fig. 6 is a detail of the frame which carries the meshing pinions.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each of the figures.

By way of illustrating one of the practical applications of my invention, I have illustrated it as applied to a common, form of signaling apparatus, but, of course, it is applicable to other devices.

- The bar a is pivoted .to a suitable block a by the pivot-pin a Secured to the bar a is the toothed sector b,-which is engaged by the teeth of thegear-wheel b mounted on the- Meshing with the teeth d of the rack-bars d d are the pinions e e mounted in the pinion-frame F, said pinions e e in turn meshing with the pinions e e on same frame. Although I have shown four pinions mounted in the frame F,'I do not confine myself to that number, as I may use any even number according to. the amount of purchase desired. Sinallwheels take up less travel on therackbars. The outer pinions 6.6 are formed with the grooves 6 with which the strips (1 ofthe rack-bars d d engage. This construction insures a secure engagement between the teeth of the pinions and those of therack-bar and prevent their slipping out of gear.

In order to hold the rack-bars :in' engagement with the pinions ee clamps G are pro- I vided, said clamps beingcomposed of the upper and lower plates 9 g, which embrace the rack-bars d d and pinions e e. The plates g g are mounted on the pinion-shafts e in the frame F. At the outer edges of the plates g g are journaled the rollers g which move in contact with the outer faces of said rack-bars.

The clamps G may vary in construction, and I'do not confine myself to the particular construction illustrated.

The frame F which carries the pinions e e e e is composed of the plates ff, and said plates are held rigidly together by the pillars h. These pillars h are secured to the plates ff in any manner which will hold said plates securely together. The connection between the two plates ff is further strengthened by the pinion-shafts 6 The plates ff have the studsf f said studf beingjournaled in the bar 2' of the yielding frame I, andsaid stud f being journaled in the bar 71 of said frame. Furthermore, the study has mounted thereon the pulley-wheel 7c.

The lower bar 0; of the yielding frame I is adapted to move inthe guide Z secured to the base Z. The bars 2' t" of the frame I are connected by the block m, from which the rod 'n projects. This rod '21. fits within an opening in the abutment 0. A springp is interposed between the block m and the abutment 0.

Where a flexible connection between the yielding frame and the contrivance to be operated is employed, the wire (1, or chain, or cable, as the case may be, passes around the pulley-wheel 70, being secured thereto, and thence to the pulleys r, 0", which may be several hundred yards distant. The wire q then passes to the pulleys s s at the base of the signal-post t. One end of said wire is secured to the outer end of the lever 25', and the other end of said wire is secured to the inner end of said lever. The lever 25 is connected by the rod to with blade 4), which is to be raised or lowered according to the signal to be given. The blade '0 is also provided with the signal-light c.

When my invention is in use and it is desired to raise the signal-blade v, the lever c is thrown in the proper direction, whereupon the gear-wheel b meshing with the toothed sector b will turn the bar a on its pivotal point, when said bar will assume the position shown in Fig. 2, for instance. In this position of the bar a the signal-blade would be at about an angle of forty-five degrees. The farther turning of the bar a will cause one of the rack-bars d d to advance and the other to recede, as shown in Fig. 3. The rack-bars meshing with the pinions e 6 will turn the frame F and consequently the pulley-wheel 70. As the wire q is attached to said pulley-wheel any movement on the part of said pulley-wheel will operate the lever t on the signal-post. No matter in what position the signal-blade may be the springp will always hold the wire taut. In case the weather is very cold and the wire contracts the spring 19 will be compressed and the frame I will yield. As the frame I yields the pinions e 6 will move along the rack-bars and thus allow for the contraction of thewire.

On the contrary, if the weather is warm and the wire expands the spring 1) will force back the yielding frame I and take up any slack in the wire, while the pinions will as before travel in the racks as said frame I is forced back. No matter at what angle the pinionframe F may be the pinions will travel in the rack-bars'and permit of the movement back and forth of the yielding frame as the wire expands or contracts.

I do not confine my invention to the particular purpose of operating signals, but include in its scope all other contrivances to which it may be applied with like results.

The mechanism composed of the rack-bars and pinions meshing therewith can be applied to other contrivances in which it is desired to provide for the expansion and contraction or any variations between the terminal points of operating wires, cables, or rods, and I propose to file this application for patent for the same broadly as a mechanical movement.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mechanical movement for providing for the expansion and contraction, or variations between the terminal points of operating wires, cables or rods, the combination of a swinging bar, rack-bars connected thereto, a yielding frame, an even number of pinions mounted in said frame, said pinions meshing with each other, and with said rack-bars, and connections between said yielding frame and the contrivance to be operated, substantially as set forth.

2. In amechanical movement for providing for the expansion and contraction, or other variations between the terminal points of operating wires, cables, or rods, the combination of .a swinging bar, rack-bars connected thereto,

a spring actuated yielding frame, an even number of pinions mounted in said frame,

said pinions meshing with each other and with- IlO ion frame, said pinions meshing with each other and with said rack-bars, and connections between said yielding frame andthe contrivance to be operated, substantially as set forth.

4. In a mechanical movement for providing for the expansion and contraction, or variations between the terminal points of operating wires, cables or rods, the combination of a swinging-bar, rack-bars connected thereto, a spring actuated yielding frame, a pinion frame journaled in said yielding frame, an even number of pinions mounted in said pinion-frame, said pinions meshing with each other and with said rack-bars, a pulley wheel on said pinion-frame, and connections from said pulley wheel to the contrivance to be opv 6. In a mechanical movement for providing for the expansion and contraction, or variations between the terminal points of operating wires, cables, or rods, the combination of a swinging bar, rack-bars connected thereto, a yielding frame, an even number of pinions mounted in said frame, said pinions meshing with each other and with said rack-bars, slid.- ing clamps for holding said pinions and rackbars in engagement, and connections between said yielding frame and the contrivance to be operated, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I, the said JOSEPH E. S. MEDSGER, have hereunto set my hand.

' JOSEPH E. S. MEDSGER.

Witnesses:

ROBTJD. TOTTEN, ROBERT C. TOTTEN. 

